Epoxides have become extremely valuable products due to their ability to undergo a plurality of chemical reactions such as addition with the active hydrogen atoms of nucleophilic reagents (e.g., ammonia, organic acids, alcohols, water, etc.). The products of epoxidation (i.e., 1,2-epoxides, also known as .alpha.-epoxides and oxirane compounds) have also enjoyed industrial importance because of their ability to polymerize under thermal, ionic, and free radical catalysis to form epoxy homopolymers and copolymers. Ethylene oxide and propylene oxide constitute the two most important commercial epoxides. A widely utilized process is the silver-catalyzed "direct oxidation" process of Lefort (U.S. Pat. No. 1,998,878 (1935) and Reissue Pat. Nos. 20,370 and 22,241).